"I knew you didn't need help," Rebecca muttered darkly. "Don't know why I
let you convince me. Just get on with it!"
"What are Wiccans and how can Muggles be wizards and Witches?"
"One question at a time, Sherlock," Rebecca mumbled. "I thought you paid attention in class, Granger? This is very unlike you."
"I just want to know how they can do magic and still be Muggles, Professor."
"Let me put this in terms even you will understand, Hermione. While magick is our nature, Wiccans have to commune with nature to make that very same magick."
"I think I understand."
"Wiccans can't get by with a wand, a few chosen words and practice, like we can. Well they can, but the result isn't instantaneous like ours is. And they don't exactly have places like Hogwarts to learn these things. They tend to use herbs, candles and oils to get the job done, as well as a myriad of tools."
Rebecca stood up and walked over to a grand cabinet that sat in one corner. Removing a chain from her neck, she unlocked the doors with a tiny key and threw them open to reveal what was inside. The first things she sat on her desk were two statues. One was a woman that bore some resemblance to a Veela, wearing long, silver robes. The other was a centaur as the Americans might see them (totally clean shaven from the torso up) and who wore sunglasses.
"Who are they?"
"The Goddess and God of Wicca in two of Their many forms," Rebecca replied, smiling benevolently at the two moving figures. "The Lady is Gaia, and earth Goddess and The Lord is Cerunnos (or Cernunnos, as He is more commonly called), a Celtic father God. If a Wiccan has not found the appropriate figures or cannot afford them (as someone your age might), s/he might burn a candle in one of Their colors instead, such as silver for the Goddess and gold for the God, as They represent the moon and sun respectively."
She took the figures away and brought out four pillar candles, one each in green, white, red and blue.
"The elements?"
Rebecca nodded. "There are temple lamps to bring the majority of the light, usually two on the altar or four hanging from the walls. Wiccans like to remind themselves that they're constantly communing with nature, however. Therefore, a dish of earth or a green candle would be placed in the north or on the northern part of the altar. A single feather, a fan (with or without feathers), a yellow or white candle would be placed in the east or on the eastern part of the altar. A red candle for fire would be placed in the south or on the southern part of the altar and a glass or bowl of water or a blue candle would be placed in the west or on the western part of the altar.
The candles went back in and out came a black-hilted dagger and an elegant cup made of gold and silver.
"I don't know," shrugged Hermione.
"The athame or black-handled knife is used for casting circles (you can figure that one out yourself) and calling upon certain spirits. A sword is used when an athame is needed on a larger scale, I have a katana. Related to the athame is the bolline or white-handled knife which is used for cutting and craft work, I use a metal-handled paring knife. The chalice is used for the cakes and wine ceremony and to do the symbolic Great Rite (both of which I'll let you figure out, as well)."
Next, she exchanged the athame and chalice for a crystal ball, a wand, a flute, a cauldron and a star on a plate.
"I can guess some of them," Hermione ventured.
"Wiccans use many of the same divination methods we do, hence the crystal ball. The wand is used for calling up spirits with whom it is unwise to meet with your athame in hand and a staff can be used in place of the wand on a larger scale. Mine is a three foot bamboo pole than has been decorated with ribbons, bells, feathers and little trinkets. In the Tradition I was initiated into, the flute was kept on the altar to be played to raise energy, which powers the spell along. The cauldron is used for pretty much the same things we use it for and this star with a circle around it is called a pentacle, which has been placed on this disk, called a paten. The pentacle paten is decorated according to your Tradition and is kept on the altar for the three Cs, cleansing, consecrating and charging."
As Rebecca put the last of the things away, she turned back to Hermione. "The only things I haven't mentioned are the broom, the censer and the scourge."
"Wiccans have brooms?!"
"The broom, which is also called a besom, is used to cleanse the sacred space (another thing for you to research), both in the mundane and the astral (there's another one.I know how you love the library, Hermione). The censer, also called a thurible, may be a metal, covered pot hanging from a chain (like in the Muggle churches) or just a simple wooden or clay holder that will hold a stick of incense, sometimes called a joss stick. At any rate, the censer is not only carried around the room to purify the space, but is left burning to set the atmosphere. Very few Traditions still use the scourge, also known as a cat-o-nine-tails (because is has nine cords attached to the handle, which bear nine knots each), which is used for purification of the body."
Hermione grimaced. "Ritualistic beating sounds so heathen. Do you have one?"
Rebecca nodded unhappily. "I was sent to a Gardnarian (look that one up) for a long period of heavy trancework and after he used it on me, it was presented to me in homage to my rank."
With a sigh, Rebecca made a shooing motion. "Go chew on that, Miss Granger."
"What are Wiccans and how can Muggles be wizards and Witches?"
"One question at a time, Sherlock," Rebecca mumbled. "I thought you paid attention in class, Granger? This is very unlike you."
"I just want to know how they can do magic and still be Muggles, Professor."
"Let me put this in terms even you will understand, Hermione. While magick is our nature, Wiccans have to commune with nature to make that very same magick."
"I think I understand."
"Wiccans can't get by with a wand, a few chosen words and practice, like we can. Well they can, but the result isn't instantaneous like ours is. And they don't exactly have places like Hogwarts to learn these things. They tend to use herbs, candles and oils to get the job done, as well as a myriad of tools."
Rebecca stood up and walked over to a grand cabinet that sat in one corner. Removing a chain from her neck, she unlocked the doors with a tiny key and threw them open to reveal what was inside. The first things she sat on her desk were two statues. One was a woman that bore some resemblance to a Veela, wearing long, silver robes. The other was a centaur as the Americans might see them (totally clean shaven from the torso up) and who wore sunglasses.
"Who are they?"
"The Goddess and God of Wicca in two of Their many forms," Rebecca replied, smiling benevolently at the two moving figures. "The Lady is Gaia, and earth Goddess and The Lord is Cerunnos (or Cernunnos, as He is more commonly called), a Celtic father God. If a Wiccan has not found the appropriate figures or cannot afford them (as someone your age might), s/he might burn a candle in one of Their colors instead, such as silver for the Goddess and gold for the God, as They represent the moon and sun respectively."
She took the figures away and brought out four pillar candles, one each in green, white, red and blue.
"The elements?"
Rebecca nodded. "There are temple lamps to bring the majority of the light, usually two on the altar or four hanging from the walls. Wiccans like to remind themselves that they're constantly communing with nature, however. Therefore, a dish of earth or a green candle would be placed in the north or on the northern part of the altar. A single feather, a fan (with or without feathers), a yellow or white candle would be placed in the east or on the eastern part of the altar. A red candle for fire would be placed in the south or on the southern part of the altar and a glass or bowl of water or a blue candle would be placed in the west or on the western part of the altar.
The candles went back in and out came a black-hilted dagger and an elegant cup made of gold and silver.
"I don't know," shrugged Hermione.
"The athame or black-handled knife is used for casting circles (you can figure that one out yourself) and calling upon certain spirits. A sword is used when an athame is needed on a larger scale, I have a katana. Related to the athame is the bolline or white-handled knife which is used for cutting and craft work, I use a metal-handled paring knife. The chalice is used for the cakes and wine ceremony and to do the symbolic Great Rite (both of which I'll let you figure out, as well)."
Next, she exchanged the athame and chalice for a crystal ball, a wand, a flute, a cauldron and a star on a plate.
"I can guess some of them," Hermione ventured.
"Wiccans use many of the same divination methods we do, hence the crystal ball. The wand is used for calling up spirits with whom it is unwise to meet with your athame in hand and a staff can be used in place of the wand on a larger scale. Mine is a three foot bamboo pole than has been decorated with ribbons, bells, feathers and little trinkets. In the Tradition I was initiated into, the flute was kept on the altar to be played to raise energy, which powers the spell along. The cauldron is used for pretty much the same things we use it for and this star with a circle around it is called a pentacle, which has been placed on this disk, called a paten. The pentacle paten is decorated according to your Tradition and is kept on the altar for the three Cs, cleansing, consecrating and charging."
As Rebecca put the last of the things away, she turned back to Hermione. "The only things I haven't mentioned are the broom, the censer and the scourge."
"Wiccans have brooms?!"
"The broom, which is also called a besom, is used to cleanse the sacred space (another thing for you to research), both in the mundane and the astral (there's another one.I know how you love the library, Hermione). The censer, also called a thurible, may be a metal, covered pot hanging from a chain (like in the Muggle churches) or just a simple wooden or clay holder that will hold a stick of incense, sometimes called a joss stick. At any rate, the censer is not only carried around the room to purify the space, but is left burning to set the atmosphere. Very few Traditions still use the scourge, also known as a cat-o-nine-tails (because is has nine cords attached to the handle, which bear nine knots each), which is used for purification of the body."
Hermione grimaced. "Ritualistic beating sounds so heathen. Do you have one?"
Rebecca nodded unhappily. "I was sent to a Gardnarian (look that one up) for a long period of heavy trancework and after he used it on me, it was presented to me in homage to my rank."
With a sigh, Rebecca made a shooing motion. "Go chew on that, Miss Granger."